KOLD HEROES: Amando Millabas leading charge, helping local veterans

TUCSON, AZ (Tucson News Now) - Amando Millabas is leading the effort to get local veterans back in school and on the job.

He’s the Program Coordinator for the Veteran’s Upward Bound Program at Pima Community College. It’s the first federal grant for the program, and the first time it’s available for the about 9,000 veterans in the Tucson area.

"Being a veteran myself, there's that connection. There's that reliability with the fellow veterans," he said.

Millabas has worked with about 70 veterans so far. He says have any more confidence and are able to get back to work. That's something Millabas says he's very proud of.

“We’re like a hub that works with them and guides them along,” he said. “We encourage them and stay connected with them so they can be successful. It’s awesome, it’s a significant achievement, personal gratification, but also knowing i’m helping a fellow veteran achieve their goals and aspirations.”.

The program started at Pima Community College just a year ago. Now, as the program goes into it's second year, Millabas says it's another chance to do more to help more veterans.

"Oh absolutely proud. It's needed," he said.

Millabas and his team in the Upward Bound Program get referrals from military agencies across Southern Arizona. They also do their own outreach and head to fairs looking for Veterans who need some help.

You can learn more about the Veteran’s Upward Bound Program by clicking HERE.